Conventional tracking systems provide the ability for a company to locate human and/or material assets on demand whether it is indoors, outdoors or in transit. This capability allows the company to improve its quality of service, engendering improved customer satisfaction. Such conventional tracking systems use GPS/GSM tracking devices but these conventional tracking systems have several limitations that include but are not limited to the following. First, a tracking device owner does not have the ability to retrieve the tracking device once the asset that is being tracked/shipped has reached its destination. For example, in the context of a package shipped to New York from California via the United States Postal Service (USPS), the tracking device owner places the tracking device in the package to obtain location updates but upon reaching the destination the tracking device owner does not have the ability to have the tracking device returned to a desired location. The tracking device owner does not have the ability to define a new tracking destination or reuse the tracking device for a new destination upon arrival to the destination. In certain situation, if the origin of the shipment is not the origin of the tracking device owner, then the owner has to first ship the device to the origin of the shipment, typically a 3rd party logistics providers or their remote warehouse or their supplier locations, instruct them to include the tracking device in their desired shipment and once it reaches the destination, have to be responsible to retrieve it back to their main location.
Second, the tracking device provides current known locations at pre-defined update intervals and user defined geographic boundaries to provide location updates. Location updates may not be provided if an event occurs between two update intervals. For example, a user defines an alert condition when asset enters and exits a specified geographic boundary at an update interval of 30 minutes. If the asset enters and exits the specified geographic boundary within 30 minutes then the tracing device fails to provide an update.
Third, the conventional tracking devices have built-in batteries that are charged via a power supply. The consumption of battery power is directly proportional to the number of location updates the tracking device provides or power consumption of other tracker components. Many tracking applications become infeasible because the user requires frequent updates or frequent use of other components that exhaust battery life.
Fourth, a conventional tracking device provides updates to the device owner and relies on such updates to disseminate that update information to other users who are interested in following that asset being tracked.
Fifth, a conventional tracking device does not have the ability to authenticate and verify whether the asset/shipment coupled to the tracking device has been delivered to a destination and a chain of custody of the asset was not compromised. Such authentication may involve confirming the identity of an asset/shipment by a person or a module that traces the origins of the asset/shipment, or ensuring that the packaging or labeling of the asset/shipment is what it claims to be. Authentication often involves verifying the validity of at least one form of identification. Authentication further involves comparing the attributes of the asset itself to what is known about asset's origin. For example, consumer goods such as pharmaceuticals, perfume, fashion clothing may use authentication to prevent original goods replaced by counterfeit goods.
Sixth, a conventional tracking device does not have the ability to report tampering such as separating the tracking device from the tracked goods. Seventh, a conventional tracking device does not have the ability of multi-dimensional tracking such as to determine and provide the ability to configure the rules of tracking based on, but not limited to, if-else-while of various parameter such as speed, altitude, temperature, pressure, location and change the behavior of tracking For example, international tracking intervals is changed while at sea, dynamically changing the tracking geo-boundaries and conditions.
Eight, a conventional tracking device does not have the ability to associate with the shipment order information and hence requires users to track the devices by their IDs instead of the shipment order information which includes but not limited to order number, purchase order number, Serial Shipment Container Code (SSCC), Billing of Lading number, Lorry Receipt (LR) number, Shipment Manifest number and others. For example, an order no. A345 may have 100 pallets and each pallet has a conventional tracking device. In order, to track order no. A345, the user needs to know the entire 100 conventional tracker IDs and track by their IDs.
Ninth, a conventional tracking device does not provide the condition of the shipment in transit such as if the shipment is not within its shipping temperature, humidity, moisture limits, or if the shipment was moved from one transport carrier to another, or the shipment was not handled properly.
Accordingly, there is a need for systems, methods, and devices for improved techniques to track an asset/shipment from any origin to any destination using a tracking device such that a tracking device can be returned to the tracking devices owner as well as the tracking device provides location and condition updates at useful intervals. Further, the tracking device has improved management of battery life, as well as the system allows a tracking device to take action based on update information provided by the tracking device, and authenticate the asset coupled to the tracking device to verify chain of custody. In addition, the tampering of the tracking device/wireless tracker and conditional/multi-dimensional tracking need to be addressed.
Skilled artisans will appreciate that elements in the figures are illustrated for simplicity and clarity and have not necessarily been drawn to scale. For example, the dimensions of some of the elements in the figures may be exaggerated relative to other elements to help to improve understanding of embodiments of the present invention.
The apparatus and method components have been represented where appropriate by conventional symbols in the drawings, showing only those specific details that are pertinent to understanding the embodiments of the present invention so as not to obscure the disclosure with details that will be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art having the benefit of the description herein.